Lubricating means for car axles



May 12, 1959 w. H. SALE LUBRICATING MEANS FOR CAR AXLES Filed June 21, I956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 .May 12, 1959 w. H. SALE LUBRICATINGAMEANS FOR CAR AXLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1956 LUBRICATENG .MEANS FOR CAR AXLES William H. Sale, Sandston, Va., assignor to Klasing Hand Brake (10., Joliet, Ill., a corporation of Illinois I Application June 21, 1956, Serial No. 592,866

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The invention relates to journal boxes for axles of railway trucks.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for lubricating the journal and bearing for thecar '1 axles ofthe truck.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description. The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: I Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a journal-box embodying the invention, the axle being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fibrous pad for feeding lubricant to the journal on the axle from the well removed from the journal box.

The invention is exemplified in a journal-box for the journal of a railway car-axle 11, a bearing 12 and a wedge 13 in the case or box 14, all of which may be of standard construction. The case or box includes the usual well 15 for retaining lubricant under the journal 10, an opening 16 in the outer end of the case or box 14 which is normally closed by a lid (not shown) as well understood in the art, for access to the inside of the case or box. The usual dust-guard well 17 is provided between the rear wall 18 of case or box 14 and a back wall 19 of the dustguard well. Openings 20 and 21 are formed in Walls 18 and 19 through which the axle passes.

The invention provides means for conducting lubricant from the well 15 to the journal 10 on the axle 11 which comprises a preformed pad 28 of felt or other suitable 33 and the loop 29 and includes alower member or arm the loop 29 by a staple 42. Members 40 and 41 are adapted to underlie and extend longitudinally ofthe porfibrous material having capillary properties and is flexible to render it insertible into and removable from the well 15, through opening 16. This pad is adapted to be confined in the casing or box between its bottom wall and the exposed lower portion of the periphery of the journal 10 and adapted to be immersed in the oil in the well 15 for conducting, by capillary action, a film of oil and applying it to the exposed lower portion of the journal. This pad is advantageously formed of a rectangular sheet of felt folded to form a pad with a loop 29 at its rear or inner end and two plies or thicknesses 30. and 31 at its front end and adjacent side portions. Rivets 32' secure the mating front corner-portions and side-portions of the plies together. A staple 33 also secures the central portion rearwardly of the front edge-portions of the plies together. This provides two thicknesses or plies of felt at the front and sides of the pad which render its central portion between staple 33 and loop 29 free for spreading between the bottom wall of casing 14 and the journal 10 of the axle and maintaining wiping and pressure contact between the upper thickness of felt and said journal and also renders said central portion contractible or collapsible and the side-portions flexible for insertion of the pad through opening 16 into the case or box 14 and between the bottom-wall of said case or box and the axle.

A resilient strip of spring steel 39 is confined between the upper and lower plies and extends between the staple 40 which engages the upper face of the lower ply 31 and an upper member or arm 41 which engages the lower face of the upper ply 32 of the pad. The bend between the back end of members 40 and 41 is secured to the back. of

tion of the upper ply 32 of 'the pad which engages the axle. The expansive force of str1p 39 when the pad is in v its operative position maintains a portion of the pad in wiping contact with the journal 10. The strip 40 is also compressibleto permit the plies of the pad to be collapsed for the insertion of the pad between the axle and the, bottom of casing 14. The side-portions of the pad, are flexible to conform to the curvature or contour of the 'bottom' wall of the casing 14 and also for bending them to facili-.

tate the insertion and removal of the pad through the opening 16.

The felt in exposed peripheral portion of journal 10 to the exposed portion of the axle below bearing 12 for efiiciently lubricating the surfaces between bearing 12 and the axle.

The pad is removably or demountably secured in the journal box, to permit replacement of the pad on account of wear and is adjustably secured therein for use in journal boxes for axles of different sizes. The means for demountably securing the pad in the box comprises: a clip 50 which includes a lower member 51 with jaws 52 adapted to underlie the front end of lower ply 31 of the pad and a member 53 with jaws 54 which coacts with jaws 52 to grip the front edge-portion of the lower ply of the pad; an angular bracket 55 integral with lower member 51 and to which upper member 53 is welded; a bracket 58 of U-shape cross-section which is welded to the journal-box adjacent the bottom of the opening 16 which is closed by the lid; and a cotter-pin 59 and holes 60 which are adapted to secure the bracket 55 in different positions longitudinally of the journal box. Upon removal of the cotter pin 59 from brackets 55 and 58, the bracket 55, clip 50, the pad and spring can be withdrawn from the box through the front opening in the journal box. By adjusting the cotter pin 59 in different holes 60, the pad may be adjusted to operative position for journals of difierent lengths.

The pad is prefabricated and the spring-strip 39 and pad are preassembled for insertion into ,the journal box. The jaws of clip 50 are applied to securely grip the front edge-portion of the lower ply 31 of the pad. Both plies of the pad and the strip 39 are then collapsed or pressed together and the side-portions of both plies are flexed transversely and longitudinally for passage through opening 16 into the journal box and between the outer end of the axle and the curved bottom wall of the journal box until the pad and strip 39 are in their operative position so that strip 39 underlies the exposed portion of the journal 10 of the axle and is compressed between upper and lower plies 31 and 32 where they are confined by the axle and the bottom Wall of the box. When the pad has been thus inserted, the expansive pressure of the strip 39 and the flanges 16 will confine the pad against displacement. When the pad has been th us inserted into the journal box, the cotter-pins 59 will be inserted through the holes in brackets 55 and 58 and the pad. Strip 39 and bracket 55 will then be retained to hold the pad in its operative position in the journal box, as shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to remove and replace the pad, the bracket 55 is disconnected from bracket 58 by the removal of cotter-pin 59 whereupon the assembled pad and bracket 55 can be removed through opening 16. The clip 50 may then be disconnected from the pad for the Patented May 12, 1959 the pad is immersed in the body of lubricat ing oil maintained inthe well 15 and by capillary action; conducts oil through the central portion of the upper ply 32 'of'the pad which has wiping contact with the lower substitution of a replacement pad. The holes 60 for pin 59 permit the pad and bracket 55 to be adjusted inwardly or outwardly in the journal box so the pad may be desirably positioned in journal boxes for journals of different =lengths.

The invention provides simple and efficient means which is insertible in the journal box for lubricating the journal and bearing; which is removable for replacement; and which is adapted to be maintained in its operative position in the journal-box, and is adjustable to be operatively positioned in journal boxes of different sizes.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claim without departing frorn the spirit and scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described theinvention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A journal box lubricator and oil retainer comprising a composite absorbent pad assembly adapted to be positioned in a journal box of a railway car axle and to underdie the journal axle and extend along the bottom and a portion of the side walls of the box, said pad assembly comprising an elongated sheet of felt having capillary properties, folded upon itself medially of its ends to provide upper and lower felt thicknesses, said thicknesses being secured together along their side margins and along their front edges to provide a substantially closed pocket within the folded sheet, and a narrow resilient expansible removably secured to the front of said folded pad assembly, and a bracket connected to the outer end of the clip and having placement holes formed therein whereby thebracket may be adjustably secured to a portion of the journal box for retention of the pad assembly within the box.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,562 Cunningham et al Nov. 30, 1937 326,156 Robinson Sept. 15, 1885 403,448 Saunders May 14, 1889 649,671 McEntee May 15, 1900 675,240 Parsons May 28, 1901 1,810,443 Steurs June 16, 1931 2,283,939 Miller May 26, 1942 2,386,121 J efrers et al Oct. 2, 1945 2,713,524 Hagy July 19, 1955. 

